View the press conference announcing the launch of Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) “Direct Project” with comments from Aneesh Chopra, Chief Technology Officer, White House; Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology; and other key contributors. The White House and ONC announced that providers and public health agencies in Minnesota and Rhode Island began exchanging health information using specifications developed by the Direct Project, an ‘open government’ initiative that calls on cooperative efforts by organizations in the health care and information technology sectors. (February 2, 2011) The press conference was moderated by Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, Deputy National Coordinator for Programs and Policy, ONC, and includes remarks from Dr. David Blumenthal and Aneesh Chopra. Designed as part of President Obama’s ‘open government’ initiative to drive rapid innovation, the Direct Project last year brought together some 200 participants from more than 60 companies and other organizations. “This is a new approach to public sector leadership, and it works,” said Chopra. “Instead of depending on a traditional top-down approach, stakeholders worked together to develop an open, standardized platform that dramatically lowers costs and barriers to secure health information exchange. The Direct Project is a great example of how government can work as a convener to catalyze new ideas and business models …

The President outlines his Administration’s vision for American leadership in the 21st century and calls on the world to help realize a future built on freedom and human rights in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly. September 23, 2010.

Remarks delivered on “Small Business Credit: Next Steps” on July 12, 2010 at the Federal Reserve Meeting Series: “Addressing the Financing Needs of Small Businesses,” Washington, DC

In this 2004 address, during the Harvard Class of 1954 reunion, Kennedy reflects on the many changes within the US Senate since his first term in 1962. I’m an optimist, Kennedy said, We are all in this together. The greed, the special interests… can’t endlessly stop an idea whose time has come.

www.ted.com At TEDWomen, Tony Porter makes a call to men everywhere Don’t “act like a man.” Telling powerful stories from his own life, he shows how this mentality, drummed into so many men and boys, can lead men to disrespect, mistreat and abuse women and each other. His solution: Break free of the “man box.”TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the “Sixth Sense” wearable tech, and “Lost” producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at www.ted.com Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at www.ted.com